Latest news with #BenKowalski
CNN
06-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Is this the future of flying? An FAA-certified airplane that can land on its own
Hagerstown, Maryland CNN — While passenger anxieties may be experiencing an uptick, one new design aboard a small aircraft is attempting to change the future of flying when it comes to safety. And it comes with just the push of one button. Aircraft manufacturer Cirrus is launching the first Federal Aviation Administration-approved autonomous safety system in a single-engine piston airplane. It's called, 'Safe Return,' and it is a shiny red button in the plane maker's SR Series G7+. Cirrus first certified Safe Return in its larger and more expensive Vision Jet in August 2020. CNN got a first-hand look at the Cirrus technology and how the planes are able to land themselves. How can a plane land on its own? The way it works is simple. Takeoff is the same – passengers feel the roar of the engine as the plane is maneuvered by the pilot to the runway swiftly and cautiously. In the air, it has features just like a regular plane. But, say there was a problem with the pilot. Now, Safe Return can step in. It comes in the form of a red button that sits overhead, closest to the passengers in the back. One press of the button, and the plane will route itself to the closest and most available runway. It entirely takes control of the airplane. 'The first thing it does is it makes a decision,' said Ben Kowalski, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Cirrus Aircraft, in an interview with CNN. 'There's an algorithm that decides: 'Where should we go? What it's doing is it's making a choice, almost just like a pilot would.' There's a 10-second grace window, should the emergency button be hit on accident, when the pilot is able to disconnect it. The aircraft's integrated flight decks have everything it needs to make the landing: it'll interpret the fuel state, weather, wind and more. Air traffic controllers will also be alerted that the aircraft is having an emergency, and passengers are also able to communicate with controllers, should they need to. Ivy McIver is the executive director of the SR Series product line at Cirrus Aircraft. She also is a pilot and flew the Cirrus plane demonstrated for CNN. 'The first time I did (an activation of Safe Return), it was sort of one of those things where on one side it was hard to give up control, but on the other side I felt so confident in the system because I had been part of the certification process and part of the flight testing that it really was just to watch the magic of engineering at work,' McIver said. It all comes together when the plane touches down, right in the center of the runway, and comes to a stop with no one touching the controls. Where might a Cirrus plane be used? Cirrus, founded in 1984, calls itself a leader in 'personal aviation.' 'We believe aviation makes the world better,' Kowalski said. 'We're biased, rightfully so, because we build airplanes, but we see the people that are buying and using our airplanes…, the vast majority put them into service for their business, to grow their business.' While some may utilize a Cirrus plane for their own personal use, mostly, the company's customers are business owners that can make use of the plane to lessen costs elsewhere. They aren't the typical 'aviation geek' type. 'The vast majority of people who are buying Cirruses in our space, they're not professional pilots,' he said. 'They're flying a couple times a week, maybe, so we're constantly creating a flight deck and a user interface, things that make it easier and safer and simpler to fly.' The company created its own Cirrus Airframe Parachute System – the first FAA-certified whole-airframe parachute safety system included as standard equipment on its planes. It allows the entire aircraft to float to the ground in case of emergency. The future for Cirrus is simple: introduce more people to the world of aviation and make them feel comfortable with it. 'What we've actually done is take an airframe powered by a power plant that's not digitally controlled or not controlled by a computer, an airframe that is kind of the entry point of aviation,' McIver explained. 'People are learning how to fly in this plane, and we are producing over 600 of these a year.' 600 a year that will now have a shiny red button onboard. '(Aviation) makes people more productive and are able to do more,' Kowalski said. 'I think we'll see this convergence in the future of as air as technologies for the airplanes keep improving, just like this.' CNN's Pete Muntean contributed to this report.
Axios
06-05-2025
- Axios
This small jet can land itself in an emergency
Cirrus, a leading maker of small planes, is adding a feature to its G7 model that allows it to land itself in an emergency. Why it matters: The move is a step toward autonomous passenger travel, though landing a plane in an emergency is a long way from removing pilots from the cockpit. Between the lines: A plane that can land itself if a pilot is incapacitated eliminates a significant risk. The self-landing plane can find the nearest safe airport, communicate with air traffic control and complete the touchdown itself. The plane doesn't use generative AI, but its computer system does use various techniques that hint at a future of AI-fueled autonomy in planes, trucks, cars and elsewhere. Catch up quick: Cirrus has for years included a parachute system that allows a malfunctioning plane to slowly and safely return to the ground. Many types of aircraft are already able to fly on their own in midair, but demonstrating the ability for a small plane to land itself is a major milestone. How it works: Cirrus features a button in its latest model that can allow any passenger to initiate the self-landing procedure should the pilot become incapacitated. In addition to the button, self-landing can happen automatically if the plane's sensors detect a lack of pilot input or erratic behavior. The new G7+ model costs about $40,000 to $70,000 more than the prior version, with upgrades beyond the self-landing capability. That's on a plane that ranges in cost from around $600,000 to close to $1 million, depending on options. The self-landing capability itself is built by GPS maker Garmin, which also makes the plane's digital cockpit system. It has been running in pricier jets for a while. No one has yet needed to use the self-landing feature in regular operation. What they're saying: The landing might be rougher than if a pilot is in charge, but it will do the job, Cirrus senior VP Ben Kowalski told Axios. "The goal of the system is to return you safely to your family," he said. Inside the cockpit: I had a chance to try it out — and push the magic red button — on a recent test flight out of San Jose airport. Since it wasn't a real emergency, the pilot handled communications and air traffic control didn't know the plane was landing itself. If air traffic control issued instructions that required a deviation from the auto-land, the pilot would have taken back control. But, in the air—once I pushed the button—the plane was doing all the work, from identifying Modesto as the nearest airport to touching down a few minutes later.
CNN
06-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Is this the future of flying? An FAA-certified airplane that can land on its own
Hagerstown, Maryland CNN — While passenger anxieties may be experiencing an uptick, one new design aboard a small aircraft is attempting to change the future of flying when it comes to safety. And it comes with just the push of one button. Aircraft manufacturer Cirrus is launching the first Federal Aviation Administration-approved autonomous safety system in a single-engine piston airplane. It's called, 'Safe Return,' and it is a shiny red button in the plane maker's SR Series G7+. Cirrus first certified Safe Return in its larger and more expensive Vision Jet in August 2020. CNN got a first-hand look at the Cirrus technology and how the planes are able to land themselves. How can a plane land on its own? The way it works is simple. Takeoff is the same – passengers feel the roar of the engine as the plane is maneuvered by the pilot to the runway swiftly and cautiously. In the air, it has features just like a regular plane. But, say there was a problem with the pilot. Now, Safe Return can step in. It comes in the form of a red button that sits overhead, closest to the passengers in the back. One press of the button, and the plane will route itself to the closest and most available runway. It entirely takes control of the airplane. 'The first thing it does is it makes a decision,' said Ben Kowalski, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Cirrus Aircraft, in an interview with CNN. 'There's an algorithm that decides: 'Where should we go? What it's doing is it's making a choice, almost just like a pilot would.' There's a 10-second grace window, should the emergency button be hit on accident, when the pilot is able to disconnect it. The aircraft's integrated flight decks have everything it needs to make the landing: it'll interpret the fuel state, weather, wind and more. Air traffic controllers will also be alerted that the aircraft is having an emergency, and passengers are also able to communicate with controllers, should they need to. Ivy McIver is the executive director of the SR Series product line at Cirrus Aircraft. She also is a pilot and flew the Cirrus plane demonstrated for CNN. 'The first time I did (an activation of Safe Return), it was sort of one of those things where on one side it was hard to give up control, but on the other side I felt so confident in the system because I had been part of the certification process and part of the flight testing that it really was just to watch the magic of engineering at work,' McIver said. It all comes together when the plane touches down, right in the center of the runway, and comes to a stop with no one touching the controls. Where might a Cirrus plane be used? Cirrus, founded in 1984, calls itself a leader in 'personal aviation.' 'We believe aviation makes the world better,' Kowalski said. 'We're biased, rightfully so, because we build airplanes, but we see the people that are buying and using our airplanes…, the vast majority put them into service for their business, to grow their business.' While some may utilize a Cirrus plane for their own personal use, mostly, the company's customers are business owners that can make use of the plane to lessen costs elsewhere. They aren't the typical 'aviation geek' type. 'The vast majority of people who are buying Cirruses in our space, they're not professional pilots,' he said. 'They're flying a couple times a week, maybe, so we're constantly creating a flight deck and a user interface, things that make it easier and safer and simpler to fly.' The company created its own Cirrus Airframe Parachute System – the first FAA-certified whole-airframe parachute safety system included as standard equipment on its planes. It allows the entire aircraft to float to the ground in case of emergency. The future for Cirrus is simple: introduce more people to the world of aviation and make them feel comfortable with it. 'What we've actually done is take an airframe powered by a power plant that's not digitally controlled or not controlled by a computer, an airframe that is kind of the entry point of aviation,' McIver explained. 'People are learning how to fly in this plane, and we are producing over 600 of these a year.' 600 a year that will now have a shiny red button onboard. '(Aviation) makes people more productive and are able to do more,' Kowalski said. 'I think we'll see this convergence in the future of as air as technologies for the airplanes keep improving, just like this.' CNN's Pete Muntean contributed to this report.
CNN
06-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Is this the future of flying? An FAA-certified airplane that can land on its own
Hagerstown, Maryland CNN — While passenger anxieties may be experiencing an uptick, one new design aboard a small aircraft is attempting to change the future of flying when it comes to safety. And it comes with just the push of one button. Aircraft manufacturer Cirrus is launching the first Federal Aviation Administration-approved autonomous safety system in a single-engine piston airplane. It's called, 'Safe Return,' and it is a shiny red button in the plane maker's SR Series G7+. Cirrus first certified Safe Return in its larger and more expensive Vision Jet in August 2020. CNN got a first-hand look at the Cirrus technology and how the planes are able to land themselves. How can a plane land on its own? The way it works is simple. Takeoff is the same – passengers feel the roar of the engine as the plane is maneuvered by the pilot to the runway swiftly and cautiously. In the air, it has features just like a regular plane. But, say there was a problem with the pilot. Now, Safe Return can step in. It comes in the form of a red button that sits overhead, closest to the passengers in the back. One press of the button, and the plane will route itself to the closest and most available runway. It entirely takes control of the airplane. 'The first thing it does is it makes a decision,' said Ben Kowalski, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Cirrus Aircraft, in an interview with CNN. 'There's an algorithm that decides: 'Where should we go? What it's doing is it's making a choice, almost just like a pilot would.' There's a 10-second grace window, should the emergency button be hit on accident, when the pilot is able to disconnect it. The aircraft's integrated flight decks have everything it needs to make the landing: it'll interpret the fuel state, weather, wind and more. Air traffic controllers will also be alerted that the aircraft is having an emergency, and passengers are also able to communicate with controllers, should they need to. Ivy McIver is the executive director of the SR Series product line at Cirrus Aircraft. She also is a pilot and flew the Cirrus plane demonstrated for CNN. 'The first time I did (an activation of Safe Return), it was sort of one of those things where on one side it was hard to give up control, but on the other side I felt so confident in the system because I had been part of the certification process and part of the flight testing that it really was just to watch the magic of engineering at work,' McIver said. It all comes together when the plane touches down, right in the center of the runway, and comes to a stop with no one touching the controls. Where might a Cirrus plane be used? Cirrus, founded in 1984, calls itself a leader in 'personal aviation.' 'We believe aviation makes the world better,' Kowalski said. 'We're biased, rightfully so, because we build airplanes, but we see the people that are buying and using our airplanes…, the vast majority put them into service for their business, to grow their business.' While some may utilize a Cirrus plane for their own personal use, mostly, the company's customers are business owners that can make use of the plane to lessen costs elsewhere. They aren't the typical 'aviation geek' type. 'The vast majority of people who are buying Cirruses in our space, they're not professional pilots,' he said. 'They're flying a couple times a week, maybe, so we're constantly creating a flight deck and a user interface, things that make it easier and safer and simpler to fly.' The company created its own Cirrus Airframe Parachute System – the first FAA-certified whole-airframe parachute safety system included as standard equipment on its planes. It allows the entire aircraft to float to the ground in case of emergency. The future for Cirrus is simple: introduce more people to the world of aviation and make them feel comfortable with it. 'What we've actually done is take an airframe powered by a power plant that's not digitally controlled or not controlled by a computer, an airframe that is kind of the entry point of aviation,' McIver explained. 'People are learning how to fly in this plane, and we are producing over 600 of these a year.' 600 a year that will now have a shiny red button onboard. '(Aviation) makes people more productive and are able to do more,' Kowalski said. 'I think we'll see this convergence in the future of as air as technologies for the airplanes keep improving, just like this.' CNN's Pete Muntean contributed to this report.
